Purchasing an adequate home insurance policy is the first step to protecting your home, but what happens when you face a peril not covered by your policy? There are areas where many perils are not covered by any home insurance policy, so we’re left on our own to ensure we are not affected by such events. There are practical things we can do to make certain our home is protected from particular perils, and even if our policy does cover them, it doesn’t hurt to have some backup that helps us to avoid the inconvenience of home or property damage. The following things can help you to prepare your property in the event you need more than insurance.
Remove Rampant Roots and Tree Stumps
You never know what might be going on under the surface of your lawn. It may be full of flowers blooming, but below rampant roots could be on the verge of causing major damage. Tree roots can break water or sewage lines, the result of which is messy and most importantly, costly. Such incidences are often listed as exclusives in insurance policies – in other words the insurance policy does not cover them.
Rather than facing major plumbing problems, check your property for potential problems, especially in the area of water and sewerage lines. Check the types of trees on, and bordering your property, as the roots of certain trees can extend for quite a long way. It could easily be a root from one of your neighbor’s trees that does the damage.
Use Clever Landscaping to Protect Your Property From Mudslides
Heavy rains can bring about mudslides in many areas, as can flash floods and earthquakes. If your home is situated on a hill, or is overlooked by a mountain or any other sloping landform, it could be at the mercy of mudslides. Mudslides are not typically covered by home insurance policies, but a little creative landscaping can protect your home from them. If your house is situated at the bottom of a slope, you can plant trees and shrubs further up the slope to intercept or at least slow down a mudslide. Trees will also help to hold the soil together, and so will add a bit of stability to the terrain. Mudslides can wipeout communication, electricity, or water supplies, so make sure you have a short wave radio, emergency generator, and a backup water supply just in case.
Shore Up Your Home Against Earthquakes
Earthquakes are a peril often not covered by home insurance policies, but there are some things you can do to reduce the damage they might do in the event they occur. Inside the home you can secure bookcases and entertainment units and the like to the wall with brackets. Cabinets that house expensive items or heirlooms should have their doors fastened with quality latches. Plastic putty can help to hold them to shelves. It may also be a good idea to fit your windows with shatter-proof glass to prevent possible injury from falling or broken shards.
A good homeowners insurance policy goes a long way to protecting your home and family. You should however know what perils it does and does not cover, and take steps such as the ones above to add some backup to your insurance plan. Your ASA agent will be happy to discuss your policy with you and explain any exclusions for which you should prepare.
